Students Lead March, Rally for Inclusion

3/9/2017

Wearing red and purple clothing and carrying handmade signs both clever and heartfelt, Crossroads students marched joyfully through the 21st Street Campus in a show of support for human rights as part of an International Women’s Day rally.

Faculty and staff joined in the spirited display of commitment to justice and equality, not just for women but also for the LGBT community, racial minorities and other marginalized communities.

According to seventh-grade academic dean Josh Adler, the event was coordinated by the Middle School Pride Options class and aimed to be “inclusive and celebratory in tone while addressing the many challenges that women continue to face and the ways that we can do our part to bring about equity and justice for all.”

The midday march culminated outside the Projects Pavilion, where students and faculty members spoke about the importance of standing up for social justice. Drama students also performed a brief sketch, setting popular protest chants to rhythm.

“It’s really important to support women’s issues, especially right now with everything that’s going on in the government,” says eighth-grader Sierra Shostac, who helped organize the event.

The rally was one element of a School-wide emphasis on social justice this year. In January, hundreds of Crossroads families attended the Women’s March in Downtown Los Angeles. This week, students were invited to visit a cart in the Alley containing books about women’s rights, gender equality and other related topics. A student-led bake sale raised money for Planned Parenthood.

“It’s a very welcoming community,” eighth-grader Cassandra Carrasco says. “I can’t imagine a school more accepting than Crossroads.”